President Lee Jae-myung has pledged to drastically enhance the nation’s defense capabilities and achieve self-reliant defense.

The president made the vow on Tuesday during a budget speech at the National Assembly, saying that the government will overhaul the nation’s conventional weapons into cutting-edge systems fit for the age of artificial intelligence(AI) and swiftly build a smart, elite military.

Lee said it is a matter of national pride that South Korea, which spends one-point-four times North Korea’s annual GDP on defense and currently has the world’s fifth most powerful military, continues to depend on external powers for its defense.

The president said that the government has expanded research and development investment in strategic industries, including AI and defense, to a record 35-point-three trillion won, or roughly two-point-four billion U.S. dollars, up 19-point-three percent from this year.

Lee said that if peace falters on the Korean Peninsula, democracy, the economy, and the safety of the people will all be at risk, pledging bold, broad efforts to restore trust and lay a foundation for dialogue and cooperation between the two Koreas.